


Wilted

by esperink



Series: The Prince, the Duke, and their Knight [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Twinxiety, have you /seen/ what the dw did to him??, is apparently the name for the twins dating v, probably i mean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:06:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29049636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esperink/pseuds/esperink
Summary: Virgil's back, but he's still hurt.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Series: The Prince, the Duke, and their Knight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2128869
Comments: 15
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> here's my plans for this: i want to have ten chapters, just like the last fic, but I don't plan to update two chapters at a time this time. The only reason I'm uploading two right now is because I really, really like the second chapter. I'm also not sure this will actually have ten chapters. We'll see. I also have another fic idea for this series, which I may or may not write before finishing this specific story.
> 
> anyway, stuffs: like, an implied innuendo, that's it. I think.

Virgil rested a lot. Even when he got out of that hospital-like room back to his own room, he rested a lot.

The twins hardly left his side. They didn’t go into the Imagination for adventures for a while. They just wanted to stay by Virgil, like they were scared they’d lose him again.

 _Guys, I’m fine_ , Virgil signed, which Remus translated for Roman. _That means you too, Remus_.

But any time he was left alone, he got anxious.

Roman watched Virgil and Remus converse in sign language, feeling a little left out. 

“Can you teach me?” Roman asked them. “Sign language?”

Virgil nodded.

So Virgil wrote down words and showed Roman the sins that went with them. Roman asked for signs for a few words. Once Roman was certain of certain words, he signed that he loved Virgil, word by word.

Virgil blushed, and Roman grinned. 

“Hey, people have signs for names, don’t they?” Virgil nodded. “What do you have mine as?”

Virgil showed him, an R over his heart.

Roman smiled. “Sweet. What about Remus?”

An R over his lips. Remus was quite pleased at that.

“Why do the Others know sign language?” Roman asked.

Virgil signed something, far too fast for a beginner like Roman to understand.

Remus took to explaining for him. “Different reasons,” he said. “Virgil gets too overwhelmed to speak sometimes. I have my thoughts…” He didn’t linger on that. “For Janus, it’s easier to tell the truth when signing.”

That made sense.

Remus signed something to Virgil, who rolled his eyes, but he turned a little red. 

“What? What did he say?” Roman asked.

 _I don’t think you want to know_ , Virgil said.

Roman took a moment to think and process. “Ew! Remus!” he exclaimed, shoving Remus, who cackled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stuffs: avoidance, being kind of cold to people, blame. Apathy.

Virgil trusted his boyfriends, but there were times he trusted no one, not even them. Sometimes he remembered that he was left with the Dragon Witch for days, and nobody had noticed until the Dragon Witch had made a call.

It was no fault of the twins’, of course, because they had just been allowing him time to himself, not knowing what was actually happening.

But there was still a small part that held onto the fact.

He’d hide away, from everyone else, and if either of his boyfriends tried to find him, he’d go out of his way to avoid them.

He wanted to explain, but he didn’t want them to blame themselves either. It was his own fault he felt this way. Right?

He wasn’t actually sure.

He just wanted to stop feeling so overwhelmed. 

He heard a knock at his door. “Vee?” Remus asked from outside.

Virgil panicked. He closed his eyes and sank out of his room.

He felt cold. He opened his eyes, wondering where he ended up. Everything here was in varying shades of grey.

“Anxiety.”

Virgil flinched. God, he hated Apathy’s voice.

“To what do I owe… the pleasure?” Apathy said.

Virgil turned to see him.  _ I didn’t mean to come here _ , he signed.

“Some part of you did, and it was enough,” Apathy replied, circling Virgil. His eyes held something Virgil couldn’t figure out. “I’ve heard about your… romp, in the Imagination.”

Virgil would have snorted if it didn’t hurt his throat. Romp sounded like he had fun.

“How are you doing…?”

Virgil blinked at him, surprised Apathy cared enough to ask. He shrugged, signing,  _ Bad, obviously. _

Apathy’s grey eyes met his. “And you want to stop feeling bad.”

Virgil felt cold seep into his bones. It was true, he did want to stop feeling that way. And it always took work to avoid Apathy’s effect. He wanted to let down his guard and let the full effect take over.

Apathy tilted his head. “I doubt Creativity and Creativity would appreciate what I would do, though.”

No, probably not.

Apathy walked up to Virgil and put a hand on his shoulder. Virgil closed his eyes.

When he opened them, he was just outside his own room. Standing next to Remus.

“Vee!” Remus said, happy to see him, but his smile dropped when Virgil shook his head. “What’s wrong?”

_ I don’t want to talk about it _ , Virgil signed as he went back in his room and locked the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me on tumblr: esperinkdraws


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stuffs: feeling unsafe, arguing, implying someone doesn't have feelings, lashing out, Apathy

On the other end of the spectrum, there were times where Virgil was afraid of being alone. He was alone when the Dragon Witch had found him, after all, who knows what else could happen? If he was alone and something happened to him, how likely was it that someone would know and would be able to help him?

He really was tired of these helpless feelings.

So he went back to Apathy. Again, and again. Apathy would have to help him at some point if he wanted to be left alone, right?

“For the last time, no,” Apathy said.

It made Virgil snap. “Why not?” he demanded. 

Apathy’s eyebrows rose. “You should not be talking,” he said.

“I also shouldn’t be asking you to take away my feelings,” Virgil bit out, throat raw and burning, “but here I am!” He made a grand gesture.

“Anxiety—“

“Why do you care, anyway? Why does it matter to you if you take away my feelings?”

Apathy stared at him, reminding Virgil of a baffled expression. His mouth was open and an eyebrow was still raised.

Apathy closed his mouth and took a step forward. Virgil took a step back, surprised and now uncertain. Apathy grabbed his arm, and when Virgil blinked, they were in the commons room, where Roman and Remus were arguing about Disney movies going dark.

The twins looked up in surprise, and Apathy gently shoved Virgil towards them. “Talk,” Apathy said, before sinking back out.

There was confused silence, before Remus commented, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him annoyed before.”

Virgil hugged himself. Was that the expression on Apathy’s face? Annoyance?

“Who was that?” Roman asked.

“Eh, another Side,” Remus said. Then he turned to Virgil. “What did he want us to talk about?”

Virgil shrugged slowly. His throat hurt from snapping at Apathy.

“Vee?”

 _Apathy needs to mind his own business_.

“About what?”

Virgil, for some reason, felt he might cry. _I’m so tired_.

Roman put a hand to Virgil’s face and wiped away a tear. Oh, so he _had_ started crying. “Tired of what?” Roman asked.

 _Everything_. Virgil’s hands shook as he signed.

He was gently pulled to the couch to sit between the twins. He buried his face in his hands.

“I’m so tired,” he repeated in a whisper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me on tumblr: esperinkdraws


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't think there's anything to warn about here.

Virgil tried to explain. He tried to explain that he was tired of feeling and just… existing in general. That he had been trying to get Apathy to help, but that the orange-clad Side hadn’t seemed willing to help.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were feeling this way?” Roman asked.

_ It’s not like anyone could have done anything about it _ , Virgil signed jerkily, his annoyance clear in the speed of his hands. _ There was no point in bringing it up. _

The twins didn’t seem to know what to say, so Virgil crossed his arms.

_ I’m sorry for bringing it up _ , Virgil said. _ I’ll… leave Apathy alone. _

“Vee, can I hug you?” Remus asked, uncharacteristically soft. 

Virgil looked and felt confused, but he slowly nodded.

Remus, just as slowly, wrapped his arms around the other. Virgil closed his eyes, relaxing almost minutely. The warmth of Remus’ arms around him was surprisingly helpful. Once he got to process the feeling, he melted just slightly into his embrace. This… This could work.

Virgil took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

Yes, this could work.

Virgil stopped bothering Apathy. He did visit him, one more time, but mostly to apologize. He popped up in his room and stood there for a few moments, waiting for Apathy to notice his presence. It didn’t take long, only a few moments, but Apathy finally turned around to look at him, a questioning glance and a tilted head.

“Did you talk to them?” Apathy asked, not waiting for a reply as he turned his attention back to whatever he’d been doing before Virgil arrived. Actually, Virgil wasn’t even sure what he’d been doing. It looked like he’d been staring off into space, at most.

Virgil got his attention so he could actually use sign language. His throat was worse off for yelling at Apathy. _ Kind of _ , Virgil said with a little shrug.  _ I told them what was wrong. _

“And what are you planning on doing about it now? Not continue to bother me, I hope,” Apathy said idly.

Remus had told Virgil that Apathy did care. After all, just because he was Apathy didn’t mean that he was only apathetic. That was like saying since Virgil was Anxiety, he was only anxious. And maybe that was true now, being always anxious, but it wasn’t always. He used to be able to relax.

_ Sorry _ , Virgil signed.  _ I won’t bother you again. _

Apathy raised an eyebrow.

_ I’m sorry for thinking you didn’t care _ , Virgil added.

Apathy hummed softly. “Your apologies are accepted,” he said. He paused. “Sit with me?” Apathy asked, voice more alive than Virgil remembered ever hearing.

Virgil sat with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i did not MEAN to make the end soft
> 
> come yell at me on tumblr: esperinkdraws

**Author's Note:**

> come yell at me on tumblr: esperinkdraws


End file.
